Doosan Power Systems

The skills challenge

Doosan Power Systems Ltd (DPS) build, maintain and extend the life of power plants across the world, from advanced turbine design and boiler technologies to comprehensive after-build services including a breadth of capabilities spanning both traditional and renewable fuels, as well as the industrial and petrochemical sectors.

The engineering construction industry is a strategically important sector of the economy supporting petrochemical and power generation. Welding is one of the primary roles within many high profile infrastructure projects and maintenance programmes. The diversity of materials, processes and techniques necessitate long welding development programmes and employers recognise a step-change is needed in welding skills delivery to help achieve competitiveness and growth in the sector, rather than continuing to compete for an increasingly scarce talent pool.

DPS and its collaborative partners on this project are active members of the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board and leaders in UK welding.

Employers in the sector need skilled welders. Inefficiencies and barriers to optimal skills delivery exist through the current public sector funding and supply. The sector is significantly complicated by seasonal projects, long training lead times and itinerant working that provide difficulties in identifying and addressing specialist skills groups which fit neatly into the existing skills system.

Skills shortages are currently being experienced by companies and this will accelerate in the next 12-36 months as major infrastructure projects commence. UK companies are competing for these increasingly scarce skills, which is pushing up prices risks the UK’s international competitiveness for securing foreign direct investment.

The solution

Supported by investment from the Employer Ownership of Skills Pilot (EOP), DPS will lead the development of new, industry-owned training solutions for engineering construction employers. The solutions will provide welding skills development at all levels using innovative and flexible methods to deliver a quality solution and introduce a new model of collaboration amongst competitors.

The project will provide support and delivery for both industry new entrants and existing staff at levels 2, 3, 4 and 5. It will design increasingly flexible training and progression programmes driven by employer and learner needs rather than a “one size fits all” approach. It will also drive the development of high quality, bite-sized, qualification units with a new programme in specialist high integrity pipe. In addition, existing welders will be up-skilled with the latest techniques and processes to enhance continuity of employment and earning capacity. ECITB will support the project through the development of the relevant National Occupational standards, qualifications and training standards.

The project will also increase industry interaction with schools via sponsorships and projects, further raising sectoral awareness and career pathways to highly rewarding jobs.

Impact

Supported by the EOP, the project will provide access to indigenous highly skilled UK welding specialists – reducing the risk to international clients such as EON, EDF and Total. 580 employees will be trained/up-skilled. Employee ‘poaching’ will be reduced due to growth in the UK talent-pool and employees will be trained to the highest standards by one of the key employers in the sector.

Increased numbers of new entrants, including Apprentices, will help meet future UK project demands. Upskilling the existing welders will reduce industry reliance on the employment of skilled labour from outside the UK – impacting positively on UK jobs, competitiveness and growth.

The project will create a higher volume of highly skilled people whose earning potential is significantly higher than the average ex-apprentice at £45-100K per annum.

Investment

Employer investment: £4,014,854

Employer Ownership Pilot Funding: £4,014,844

Total: £8,029,698

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